I, Claudius (Dramatised)

A full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, starring Tom Goodman Hill as Claudius and Derek Jacobi as Augustus. The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula is told by their obscure relation, Claudius. In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination.

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty.

Augustus: First Emperor of Rome

Caesar Augustus's story, one of the most riveting in western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. He began as a teenage warlord, whose only claim to power was as the heir of the murdered Julius Caesar. Mark Antony dubbed him "a boy who owes everything to a name," but in the years to come the youth outmaneuvered all the older and more experienced politicians and was the last man standing in 30 BC.

Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar

Author and historian Tom Holland returns to his roots in Roman history and the audience he cultivated with Rubicon - his masterful, witty, brilliantly researched popular history of the fall of the Roman republic - with Dynasty, a luridly fascinating history of the reign of the first five Roman emperors.

The Twelve Caesars

The Twelve Caesars was written based on the information of eyewitnesses and public records. It conveys a very accurate picture of court life in Rome and contains some of the raciest and most salacious material to be found in all of ancient literature. The writing is clear, simple and easy to understand, and the numerous anecdotes of juicy scandal, bitter court intrigue, and murderous brigandage easily hold their own against the most spirited content of today's tabloids.

Under the Volcano: A Novel

On the Day of the Dead, in 1938, Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic and ruined man, is fatefully living out his last day, drowning himself in mescal while his former wife and half-brother look on, powerless to help him. The events of this one day unfold against a backdrop unforgettable for its evocation of a Mexico at once magical and diabolical.

Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic

The Roman Republic was the most remarkable state in history. What began as a small community of peasants camped among marshes and hills ended up ruling the known world. Rubicon paints a vivid portrait of the Republic at the climax of its greatness - the same greatness which would herald the catastrophe of its fall. It is a story of incomparable drama.

The Egyptian

The world of ancient Egypt springs magnificently to life in this astonishing historical novel of love, war, political intrigue, and religious revolution. Told from the first-person point of view, it is the story of Sinuhe, physician to the royal court of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and his successors in the middle of the tumultuous 14th century B.C. From his exalted position, Sinuhe was able to observe and participate in some of the most intimate and important decisions that affected the powerful Egyptian kingdom of the 18th Dynasty during a very troubled period of its history.

The Greek Myths

Including many of the greatest stories ever told - the labours of Hercules, the voyage of the Argonauts, Theseus and the minotaur, Midas and his golden touch, the Trojan War and Odysseus's journey home - Robert Graves's superb and comprehensive retelling of the Greek myths for a modern audience has been regarded for over fifty years as the definitive version. With a novelist's skill and a poet's eye, Graves draws on the entire canon of ancient literature, bringing together all the elements of every myth into one epic and unforgettable story.

Sons and Lovers

Sons and Lovers, D. H. Lawrence's first major novel, was also the first in the English language to explore ordinary working-class life from the inside. No writer before or since has written so well about the intimacies enforced by a tightly knit mining community and by a family where feelings are never hidden for long. When the marriage between Walter Morel and his sensitive, high-minded wife begins to break down, the bitterness of their frustration seeps into their children's lives.

Caesar: Life of a Colossus

Tracing the extraordinary trajectory of Julius Caesar's life, Adrian Goldsworthy covers not only the great Roman emperor's accomplishments as charismatic orator, conquering general, and powerful dictator but also lesser-known chapters. Ultimately, Goldsworthy realizes the full complexity of Caesar's character and shows why his political and military leadership continues to resonate some 2,000 years later.

Scoop

In Scoop, surreptitiously dubbed "a newspaper adventure", Waugh flays Fleet Street and the social pastimes of its war correspondants as he tells how William Boot became the star of British super-journalism and how, leaving part of his shirt in the claws of the lovely Katchen, he returned from Ishmaelia to London as the "Daily's Beast's" more accoladed overseas reporter.

Darkness at Noon

A fictional portrayal of an aging revolutionary, this novel is a powerful commentary on the nightmare politics of the troubled 20th century. Born in Hungary in 1905, a defector from the Communist Party in 1938, and then arrested in both Spain and France for his political views, Arthur Koestler writes from a wealth of personal experience.

Julian

The Roman emperor Julian (331 or 332-363) was a member of the illustrious family of Constantine the Great, who was his grandfather. He was named Caesar of the western provinces by Emperor Constantius II in 355. Amazingly, he turned out to be a military leader of genius and cleared Gaul of the German threat. In 360, Julian was proclaimed Augustus (emperor) of the entire Roman Empire by his troops in Gaul.

Nostromo

Joseph Conrad’s multilayered masterpiece tells of one nation's violent revolution and one hero's moral degeneration. Conrad convincingly invents an entire country, Costaguana, and sets it afire as warlords compete for power and a fortune in silver.

Señor Gould, adamant that his silver should not become spoil for his enemies, entrusts it to his faithful longshoreman, Nostromo, a local hero of sorts whom Señor Gould believes to be incorruptible.

The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall

This enthralling book charts the family's huge influence on the political, economic, and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists and architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes and Grand Dukes, Florence's slide into decay and bankruptcy, and the end, in 1737, of the Medici line.

A Handful of Dust

Evelyn Waugh's 1934 novel is a bitingly funny vision of aristocratic decadence in England between the wars. It tells the story of Tony Last, who, to the irritation of his wife, is inordinately obsessed with his Victorian Gothic country house and life. When Lady Brenda Last embarks on an affair with the worthless John Beaver out of boredom with her husband, she sets in motion a sequence of tragicomic disasters that reveal Waugh at his most scathing.

Publisher's Summary

Here is one of the best historical novels ever written. Lame, stammering Claudius, once a major embarrassment to the imperial family and now emperor of Rome, writes an eyewitness account of the reign of the first four Caesars: the noble Augustus and his cunning wife, Livia; the reptilian Tiberius; the monstrous Caligula; and finally old Claudius himself and his wife, Messalina. Filled with poisonings, betrayal, and shocking excesses, I Claudius is history that rivals the most exciting contemporary fiction.

Put aside all thought of stuffy classics. Think well-spun tale, full of twists and turns, subterfuges and bloody tyranny. Bear in mind that the BBC at the peak of its tour de force of TV drama production in the '70s and '80s made these two books into a masterpiece surpassed only (perhaps) by Brideshead Revisited. You can't do that with dull material.
As the title siggests, the books are written in the first person, as the autobiography of the partly disabled, sickly survivor of the Claudian wing of the Roman aristocracy who became emperor by flying below the radar and outliving all the other candidates. The choice of reader is critical, as we are listening to an elderly man tell his long and convoluted life story. Nelson Runger's voice rumbles along with just the right timbre and clarity for the character of the wily and learned Claudius. More importantly he has such a fine actor's grasp of text and meaning that we never, for one moment, feel that we are being read to. We are simply being told the bloody, scheming, erotic and shocking tale of Rome's ruling dynasty at the peak of its imperial power, spun out as an captivating yarn.
While never claiming officially to be an historian Graves was a close descendant of German historian Leopold von Ranke and prized historical accuracy. So much, if not all of the two books is historically accurate, a perspective which serves as the binding sauce to Graves' words and Runger's delivery.
One of my very best Audible purchases, which I will listen to again and again.

This book is an excellent way to acquaint yourself with the character of Rome at the dawn of the first century. I, Claudius plunges you into a world of intrigues, murder, cruelty, and vice-- in short a world in which "Poison is Queen."

If you are anticipating a page-turner-'novel' don't purchase this audio book. It is more like a well dramatized history. The story is told in first person by Claudius himself, and follows his life from its earliest years to nearly the end of his life. Claudius was born a cripple and a stammerer, and it is amazing to see how he not only overcame his disabilities, but how he used them to his advantage. Hundreds died in the struggle for power, but every killer overlooked 'the half-wit.'

The narrator is top notch. I couldn't give his performance a higher rating. The sound quality is excellent.

A good book, not a sensational one. I might find myself re-listening to it someday just to re-aquaint myself with this era in human history.

This book is a superb read if you enjoy historical fiction. It's also excellent if you enjoy biography/autobiography so long as you don't take the subject matter as entirely accurate. It's written as "autobiography" of Claudius, fourth emperor of the Roman Empire. Though the book (and it's sequel, Claudius the God) finds it's foundation in the Roman biographies of Suetonius and Tacitus, much effort has been made by Graves to cast Claudius in as favorable a light as possible. To this end, Claudius is a sympathetic and intelligent character whose base neglect by the earlier Caesars is only to the detriment of the empire.

This book carries the life of Claudius from the political intrigues before his birth up until his comical accession as emperor. Graves' second book, Claudius the God, carries the story practically up to Claudius' death.

The reader is excellent and his voice along with the text allows you to lapse into thinking that you are listening to Claudius himself.

I highly recommend this audio book. The book itself, by Robert Graves is a classic. Its an in depth , richly painted portrait of the Julio-Claudian dynasty as seen through the eyes of its most unlikely members. However, the performance of Nelson Runger as narrator makes this a particularly good listen. He did a great job of becoming Claudius. When a narrator can disappear into the part, and really become the part, thats pure joy!

Even though it was written over 75 years ago, I, Claudius outshines many modern works of historical fiction in its detail, drama, and accessibility. Its narrator may not have had the most interesting life story himself, but as a fly-on-the-wall witness to several generations of backstabbing Roman politics, debauchery, and familial intrigue, not to mention turbulent times in the life of the empire itself, he plenty of tales to tell. It's obvious that Graves took some fictional (and a little bit of mystical) license with his history, but he seems to have done his research. I learned a great deal about Rome during its Imperial Period.

Perhaps the book's a little too fact-oriented at times; it relates a lot of minor events and anecdotes that don't have much to do with any larger plotline. The large cast of briefly-seen minor characters and the complicated family lineages of Roman nobility can be confusing, as well.

But, none of that undermined my enjoyment too much. Graves provides a few heroes to root for and plenty of villains you'll love to loathe, particularly the cruel, cunning Livia and the depraved Caligula (a leader who makes America's worst heads of state look like saintly paragons of wisdom and virtue). For patient readers, I, Claudius is an absorbing historical soap opera. Nelson Runger's grandfatherly voice is a perfect fit for the audio version.

Claudius of this book is not the Claudius of history. That is a very good thing. The real Claudius was not likable. This is Grave's autobiographical account of Roman emperor Claudius. Claudius is physically weak, drools and stammers-and this is what kept him breathing, while all other threats to his grandmother Livia's schemes drop dead. There is lots of intrigue, sex, murder, suspicion and more intrigue. You will have fun listening to this one.

Be sure you get the version narrated by Nelson Runger. He is superb as the voice of the stammering idiot, and he shines. I have another version done by Fredrick Davidson, whom I love as a narrator, but he did not fit the role of Claudius.

This book is one of my favorite listens of all time. As well as being one of the best Historical Fiction books ever written. Take a chance on this one. But if you do, here are a few things to read first:

Firstly, forget that this book was written in the 1920's. If I hadn't known this fact, I would have never guessed. I am a great fan of modern historians and shy away from books written in the early 20th Cent. Robert Graves is the exception.

No soap-opera has more intrigue, lust, murder, betrayal and excess than the true tale of the reign of the Caesars of Ancient Rome. The tale is complicated and full of twists and turns and too many minor characters to keep track of. What makes Mr. Grave's telling of the tale so engrossing is the way he uses the oft disregarded "Uncle" Claudius as the fly on the wall witness to the madness. The real Caesar Claudius was a historian before he was anything else, making the telling of his tale believable and reasonable in its details.

There have been a few reviews complaining that the narrator is boring. NONSENSE. Nelson Runger MAKES this story seem totally believable. His unassuming, self-depreciating, kindly voice is the exact illustration of what "Poor Claudius" might have sounded like. HE IS PERFECT. No inexplicable English accent to make it sound more "historical" here.

Another complaint I've read is that Graves uses the modern names of regions and countries in his tale. This is FICTION and most of us don't know exactly where GAUL was back then. But I sure know where Germany is. It's a non issue. If you are THAT superior in your tastes, perhaps you should stick to true biography's.

One caution: I waited until the last chapter of the book expecting to hear the tale of Claudius's actual reign included - he doesn't tell. The book ends with the first moments of his ascension to the throne. The good news is that there is a follow up book that does. Much to my delight!

I felt like I learned an immense amount about ancient classical figures whose names I had known but couldn't have told you much else about them. In addition, I was entertained, engrossed, and even horrified (by the how violent their world was). I'd recommend it if you like history and/or historical fiction (this isn't fiction, but it reads like it). The reader was very good.

A very good story and enjoyable history/historical fiction.
This account is questioned by historians in several areas including whether Livia could have poisoned all of the people she is alleged to have in this book. However, I have heard one college professor of Classical History say that you absolutely should read this book to understand this fascinating period of history.
Highly recommended!

I, Claudius was written as if it were the confidential autobiography of Claudius, the fourth emperor of Rome 41-54 A.D. The main caricature Claudius tells of the intrigues of his day and age. The story starts off a bit slow but the story is laying the foundations of the future intrigues of sex, murder and betrayals.

Oh, dear! I bought the story I wanted, but with the wrong narrator...... Probably just me, but the American/mid-Atlantic(?) accent really grates on my ears - somehow I bought the wrong version, when I wanted the one paired with 'Claudius the God'; I must say I wish Derek Jacobi had done both books unabridged, but that's probably only because I can still picture and hear him in the role from the TV adaptation which has stuck fast in my mind.
However, the story is intriguing and well worth listening to, whoever narrates it, I suppose....

23 of 24 people found this review helpful

Elise

Northallerton, United Kingdom

5/22/12

Overall

"Brilliant book, generally good narration"

Like the previous reviewer, I would have preferred a British narrator to read this British book (obviously, Derek Jacobi would be the ideal, at least for anyone who has seen the TV series). However, after about 10 minutes I found that the accent stopped grating and I started to enjoy this reading (after all, I suppose Claudius should probably have an Italian accent, if anything!) However, Robert Graves was British and occasionally he uses words that are not in use on the other side of the Atlantic, then the mispronunciation jars badly and I go back to disliking the narration for a while. Other than that fairly minor niggle, the reading is good and the book is superb.

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Meatslicer

8/7/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Brilliant. Remember this from the telly in the 70s"

Would you consider the audio edition of I Claudius to be better than the print version?

Not sure, haven't seen the print version. It is pretty close to the TV series I saw as a kid.

What did you like best about this story?

It seemed so naturally written, I felt I was involved in the story. The ins and outs of the roman imperial court and the details of how Calligula messed with Claudius's head most of the time were fascinating.

Have you listened to any of Nelson Runger’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Don't think I have listened to him before.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laughed quite a lot, didn't feel the need to cry but it was entertaining. The little bit when Claudius was "chosen" as emperor is a classic.

Any additional comments?

Wish there was a part 2. The story ended too soon, I wanted to know what happened next.I think this should be used in schools to show how a good story is written.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

clare

LEATHERHEAD, United Kingdom

7/18/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Irritating narrator"

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Get a different narrator without an irritating sing-song voice totally inappropriate for the subject matter.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Natalie

London, United Kingdom

6/20/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Worth reading but not gripping"

I am surprised by the people who found this book "gripping". It is enjoyable and quite good fun but I didn't really care enough about the characters to find it gripping. It reminded me of that phrase "one bloody thing after another". I've seen a few people have compared it to a saga like The Wire. For me it's nothing like that. But if you manage your expectations it is well worth reading.

At first it's difficult to get your head around the characters (especially as there are a lot of similar names) and in the book there is a family tree - I would really recommend getting one online and printing it out before you start listening to this!

I both read this and listened to the audiobook and despite the reader's Canadian (I think) accent, which surprised me at first, I found it just as enjoyable to listen to - possibly more so.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

iris

Paris, France

5/20/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Story spoiled by pitiful narration"

This is an excellent story by one of the greatest story tellers. It is a moving tale of how a man finds himself pitched against the most turbulent and troubled reign of Caligula and how he ends up wielding power himself. It is told in the first person giving Claudius the opportunity to reveal his strengths and weaknesses his vision of a Republic and his own doubts about his power. Unfortunately the narrator is appaling and I'm sorry to say this but if you are not one hundred percent into the story it is not possible to listen to this reading. It is read as if it were a shopping list.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

david

7/8/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"CLASSIC PLEASURE"

What did you like most about I Claudius?

I read the book when I was at school and found it difficult to follow, Now with more years under my belt, I thought I should try again. What a delight to have done so; it gave me hours of pure pleasure as we worked our way through the treachery of ancient Rome.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Claudius himself is the standout. He navigates his way through from a bumbling stutterer to emperor of the Roman empire, with humour and not a little political skill.

What does Nelson Runger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He brings all the many different characters to life with enthusiasm and emotion.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not possible for me, so two sessions had to suffice.

Any additional comments?

Great book, well performed,

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Mike

5/3/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Boring"

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

If you like diaries then go for this

Would you ever listen to anything by Robert Graves again?

Not even if it got a rave review

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Nelson Runger?

Not the narrators fault - he had nothing to work with to make this tomb interesting

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Very disappointed in this book, especially after the TV series had such good reviews

Any additional comments?

One of the most boring books I've ever come across - not even a good story line

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Report Inappropriate Content

If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.